Holding wrench for tappets



March 6, 1951 c. E JOHNSON HOLDING WRENCH FOR TAPPETS Filed Nov. 15, 1945 NV ENTOR TToRNEYs Patented Mar. 6, 1951 HOLDING WRENCH FOR TAPPETS Charles E. Johnson, North Muskegon, Mich., as-

signor to Johnson Products, Inc., Muskegon Heights, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 13, 1945, Serial No. 628,236

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to the adjustment of mechanical tappets and is concerned, among other things, with a novel holding wrench for tappets, and a method of securely holding a tappet which is to be adjusted from turning in connection with a next adjacent tappet by means of an intervening holding wrench, thereby eliminating the holding of the tappet through a wrench by one of the hands of the mechanic doing the adjusting and, accordingly freeing such hand. The usual adjustment of a mechanically adjusted tappet is a somewhat delicate and difficult operation, and if a mechanic had three hands instead of two it would be a far easier operation than at the present time. With my invention one of the hands which has beenpreviously fully occupied is released and the adjustment is performed in a much easier and more satisfactory manner.

Furthermore, in some V8 engines, the tappets in the original engine are of solid non-adjustable type, have a prescribed length and this length cannot be changed. For replacement purposes I have devised a mechanically adjustable tappet for the non-adjustable tappets first installed, and which as to its body is shortened and of less length than the original tappet used in the engine in order to provide space for the adjustable screw which is screwed into the upper end of the tappet body, with the over-all length of the adjustable tappet substantially that of the non-adjustable tappet which it replaces. In such engines the space between the tappet guide and the valve mechanism is very limited, being of such short distance that it is impossible to provide a tappet body with'the usual fiat sides at its upper end for just the screw member of the tappet.

The present invention is directed to a novel holding wrench in conjunction with adjustable tappets for V8 engines specifically, and more broadly to holding wrenches in general which may be utilized with other tappets of a mechanically adjustable character to engage and hold the tappet which is being adjusted from turning by interengaging the opposite end of the holding member or wrench with the next adjacent tappet so as to thus free one hand of the mechanic as previously stated. In such adjustment of tappets, either in V8 engines or other engines of similar design and character, or in all internal combustion engines utilizing mechanical tappets, the tappet which is being adjusted is located at its lowermost position while the one next to it and with which the holding implement or wrench is engaged is elevated to a higher position, this being done by turning the crank and cam shafts of the engine to properly locate the two adjacent tappets, one of which is to be adjusted and the other to serve as an anchor for a wrench implement which is connected with the tappet being adjusted to maintain it from turning about its longitudinal axis.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary substantiallyhorizontal the next adjacent tappet.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the tappet which is to be adjusted and showing the holding wrench in connection therewith.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section through the wrench implement illustrating the means used to adjustably connect the two parts thereof. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the holding wrench. 7

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a reversal in position of the wrench implement, and which implement is slightly modified in construction from that shown in Fig. 5, one being a right and the other a left, and the one shown in Fig. 6 slightly modified for reception in the limited space which it must occupy, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section showing a holding wrench for use inconnection with two adjacent tappets of a type smaller in diameter than the barrel type illustrated in the previous figures.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the engine block indicated fragmentarily at l, is provided with the requisite number of substantially vertically positioned guides therethrough for the guiding of the tappet bodies 2 which are mounted for reciprocatory movement being actuated by cams 3 on a continuously rotating cam shaft 4 (Fig. 3) when the engine is in operation. The tappets are lifted by the cams and are removed downwardly and maintained in bearing engagement against the cams by the springs of the valves which are lifted. In V8 engines the tappets and tappet guides are not in vertical position but are inclined outwardly at each side of the engine from the vertical longitudinal plane of such engine.

The tappet body 2, of relatively large diameter and of the well known barrel type is hollow for diminishing weight, closed at its lower end and hardened to bear against the associate cam 3, and at its upper end is integrally closed. It is provided with a longitudinal sleeve interiorly threaded into which a tappet screw 6 is screwed. The screw 6 preferably is of the self-locking type illustrated in my Patent No. 2,361,107 issued October 24, 1944. With my invention the upper end of the tappet body around the sleeve 5'is provided with a plurality of downwardly extending holes or openings I drilled therein. Four are shown but such number is not in any way essential in itself in connection with the invention. The number of vertical holes I may be increased or diminished. There must be at least one of said holes and the number may be increased to as many as can be made in the space provided around the screw 6 at the upper end of the tappet body.

In the operation of the engine and with the.

rotation of the cam shaft 4 the tappets are reciprocated, being lifted and lowered and adjacent tappets will alternately be lifted and lowered. As shown in Fig. 2 one of the tappets is in its lifted or elevated position and the one next adjacent.

' in its lower position. In such lower position the body of the tappet is below the upper end of its guide and the head 6 of the screw only lies above the upper end of the guide and is accessible for connection of a suitable wrench thereto to turn;

the screw 3 to adjust it and thereby vary the effective length of the tappet. The tappet next adjacent has its body 2 elevated above the upper end of the part of the engine block in which the tappet guides are made.

The wrench or holding implement which I have provided includes a member of flat metal having an intermediate section 8 (Fig. 5) at one end of which is a section 9. The section 9 at one side has a semi-circular recess II. therein having;

an arcuate rim of not more than 180 so that at the end of the member being described there is a terminal finger II. At the other end of the intermediate section 8 an arm or section I2 extends, being generally in parallelism to the section 9, with the intervening section 8 inclined at an angle to both.

At the upper side of the member described and over the sections 8 and 9 a curved locking member I3 of flat metal is located and is adjustably secured by means of arcuate slots I4 therein through which headed pins I5 pass and are permanently connected to the under section 8 as shown in Fig. 4. The slots Iii are shaped in an arc concentric with the center of the recess Ill. The locking member I3 accordingly has a limited arcuate movement controlled by the slots I4 and the pins I5 and of an extent which is controlled by the length of said slots l4. Preferably through the section 9 of the under member and adjacent one end of the locking member I I3 openings I5 are made which serve as finger clips to facilitate moving the locking member from one position to the other. Said openings are in conjunction when the locking member I3 is in its unlocked position. The arm I2 adjacent its free end is provided with a downturned lug I! as shown.

With the tappet at the right in Figs. 1 and 2 at its. lowermost position, and which is to be:

adjusted by changing the position of the screw 6, and the next adjacent tappet at the left elevated, this wrench implement is inserted in place by bringing the arm or section I2 back of the screw 6 of the lowermost tappet and inserting the lug I'l into one of the openings 1 in the tappet body. The locking member I3 will be at its inoperative position as shown in Fig. 5, with the two openings I6 in vertical conjunction so that the section 9 may be located against the body 2 of the elevated tappet, said body extending into the recess at III. Then by moving the locking member I3 in a counter-clockwise direction, or to the position shown in Fig. l, more than half of the cylindrical distance around the elevated tappet body 2 will be embraced by the two members of the implement, this being shown in Fig. 1. The movement of the locking member I3 from the position in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 1 is accomplished instantly by a mere lateral pressure exerted at the opening IS in the member I3.

In such position the lowered or depressed tappet body 2 is securely held against rotation. The wrench holding implement is connected with both of the tappet bodies. A wrench applied to the head of the screw 6 of the lowermost tappet which is to be adjusted may have any requisite degree of force exerted on it to adjust the position of the screw 6 to any position which is needed. The wrench implement may be released by merely moving the locking member I3 back to its initial unlocked position, thereby releasing from the elevated tappet at one end, and then lifting the other end of the implement to disconnect the lug I 7 from the hole or recess 1 in which it has been received.

In Fig. 6 the wrench construction is shown modified for a different condition and one which is met in practice. It may be described as a left type of wrench with the first described wrench being a right; that is, the locking member I3 in the first described wrench is disposed at the right hand side of the lifted tappet body with which it is connected, and the finger II at the left and with the arm I 2 extending to the right to engage with the tappet which is to be adjusted. This is reversed in Fig. 6, the locking member I3 being at the left of the elevated tappet body with which it is connected, the finger I! at the right thereof and the arm l2 extending to left and having the lug I! turned downwardly to engage in an opening I of the tappet body 2 which is at the left of the elevated tappet, a reversal of what is shown in Fig. 1. Also because of limitations imposed by narrow space, the finger II at its edges is bent upwardly into a short flange I8 so that it may enter the space which is provided, and not be reduced in strength by reason of the reduction in width of the finger I I. The connection of the wrench implement to the tappet body is the same as before and the tappet which is to be adjusted is held from turning in the same manner.

In Fig. 7 two adjacent tappet bodies 2a of the type which was substantially universally used some years ago and which is still used is of smaller diameter than the barrel tappets, each at its upper end has an upper projection I9 fiattened at opposed parallel sides for wrench connection. A tappet screw 3a is threaded into the upper ends thereof forthe adjustment of the tappets. With such tappets the interposed holding wrench implement is of a modified form. It consists of aflat, plate of. metal 20. at one end having a relatively wide elongated slot 2|, the distance between the sides of which is slightly greater than the diameter 211 of a tappet. ,The length of said slot is appreciably greater than such diameter. At the other end a second narrower slot 22 is made, the width of which is but slightly greater than the distance between the opposite flat sides of the upper projection 19. This implement may be engaged with the cylindrical body of a tappet, the one at the right shown in Fig. '7 which is in an elevated position, the implement being moved so that the inner end or bottom of the slot 2| comes substantially to the body of the tappet. The implement is then alined with the tappet which is to be adjusted and with such tappet which is being adjusted turned about its axis to present the fiat sides of the upper projection 19 properly so that the implement may be moved to the left and said projection 19 be received in the slot 22. the tappet at the left from turning about its vertical axis on exerting force on the screw 6a which is being adjusted; while the engagement with the next adjacent higher elevated tappet body holds the implement from turning about the axis of the screw 6a which it would do if not restrained.

The constructions described and the method of tappet adjustment provide desirable advances in connection with the difiicult operation of adjusting tappets; and further provide a very practical, useful and effective replacement of the nonadjustable tappets in certain engines, such as those of the V8 type.

This holds The invention is defined in the appended claim and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within its scope.

I claim:

A tappet holding implement comprising a body, means on said body to non-rotatably engage a tappet, a semicircular recess in said body adapted to embrace another tappet through an arc of not more than 180 and means on said body adjacent said recess movable in an arc concentric with the center of said recess to engage said other tappet beyond said 130 limit.

CHARLES E. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 146,106 Sweetland Dec. 30, 1873 282,927 Robbins Aug. 7, 1883 512,938 Black Jan. 16, 1894 1,404,089 Brown Jan. 17, 1922 1,493,389 Rosenfield May 6, 1924 1,511,913 Saunders Oct. 1 1, 1924 1,890,213 Cameron et a1 Dec. 6, 1932 1,935,131 Schotthoefer Nov. 14, 1933 2,196,929 Lizakowski Apr. 9, 1940 2,202,895 Brinton June 4, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 110,652 Australia Mav 20. 1940 

